Dipsticks… or not?
 

What idiot at Porsche thought getting rid of engine oil dipsticks was a good idea?

And you have to drive for 10 minutes to get the oil level to display…

This is nearly as bad as automatic transmissions you fill from below the pan…

Why? Just why?

You can’t forget to put it back in. So one less place to leak from.
And no, I’m not a fan…

It is really annoying. My Cayenne sometimes does not display the oil level even after driving for more than a half hour. There is a plug in the tube on some models that you can remove, and you can buy an adjustable dipstick and use that to check the oil.

I agree, it is stupid. BUT, a lot of owners never used the dipsticks. Now the car knows the level of oil and will war you to add oil.

Much like replacing a battery in modern cars. I had to enter the serial number, part number, amp hours and battery type (AGM or wet cell) into my wife's Macan to keep it happy. My old cars only require the clocks to be set after a battery change.

Threads like this make me glad I drive an 11 year old car. I have 35,000 miles on it, so I'm liable to be driving it forever.

Sounds like a dumb idea.

My 14 F150 doesn’t have a transmission dipstick in the engine bay. You have to get under the truck, remove a small cap and pull a 4 inch dipstick out, while avoiding the hot exhaust. I retrofitted a dipstick that goes to the engine bay that some guy makes and sells on eBay.

Yeah, I know, right? I drive a 24 year old Lexus with over 300,000 miles on it. It may not have all the new fangled bells and whistles, but at least it does have a dipstick.

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Yep, one of my minor pet peeves with my car. My '08 Boxster S is a 3.4. If it was a 3.2L, the spot for the dipstick is still in the block and I could retrofit. If it was a 2.9L (non-S) I could retrofit. But my understanding is that my 3.4 L never had the hole drilled. What's really irritating is that when the motors hot, you've got to wait 5 mins to test, and it doesn't take 5 mins to get gas no matter how low you run it. So it's not like it's convenient to check when getting gas.

What I also miss is the old oil level gauge in my old '88 911 targa. That thing was right on the money all of the time. I understand why Porsche got rid of so many gauges, stupid people that don't understand gauges are probably a huge pain in the ass. But I want water/oil temp, oil pressure, and volts would be nice. Like I said, I also miss the old oil level gauge, but I don't believe that would work in the newer cars since they aren't true dry sump.

Forgive me, for I know not, but is the 3.4 a 6 cylinder? I ask because my SHO has a 3.4 liter double overhead cam V8.

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If you don't like a change then you probably aren't the target market.

I suspect that the majority of NEW CAR BUYERS look at this change as a huge improvement. "I can check the oil from the driver's seat and never get my hands dirty.

No one cares what the second owner wants...

Everything old is new again. Model T's also lack a dipstick. You check the oil by opening petcocks on the pan. If it drips out the top one, it's full. If not, you add oil. A common aftermarket upgrade was to install a sight glass on the lower petcock allowing for a visual check.

(I can remember this piece of trivia I heard eons ago, but why I walked into the kitchen is a mystery.)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1725118599.jpg

I've got a 2011 VW Touareg tdi with no dip stick. Why? I have no idea. They don't even tell you in the owners manual how much oil it takes to do an oil change. They don't want you to touch your car.......take it to the dealer is what they want.

Yes, it's a Flat 6.
Porsche Flat 6's over the years (mostly correct, possibly missing/incomplete in the later years.
2.0L - 911
2.2L - 911
2.4L - 911
2.7L - 911
3.0L - 911
3.2L - 911 ('84-'89) and Boxster Cayman (986-987 ->'06)
3.6L - 911 (964, 993, and some later models, 997, 981, maybe)
3.4L - 911 (996) and Boxster/Cayman (987-981 '07 ->)
3.8L - 911 & Boxster/Cayman
4.0L - 911 (the special/hi-perf models)

My wife has a Subaru Outback with a 3.6L flat 6. So our family is running 7.0L of flat 6 mayhem.

No dip stick on my 2019 VW Jetta.

No oil or trans dip stick on my 2006 CLK 500 either.

A long time ago I bought a new 2004 Volvo station wagon. As the salesperson was going over the car's features, I asked where the hood latch was. She replied, why do you ask? I don't know maybe to re-fill the window washer reservoir. Her response: just about all, have us (the dealership) service the car - no need but I will get someone to show you where it is.

One possible reason for eliminating it is something I noticed with my 2004 BMW 530i is the tube ends up with condensation inside it in cold conditions, the 2005 year eliminated the tube and went with a sensor.

lol!

Gotta get the car/oil hot enough to burn that off, which should happen with any reasonably long drive.

The new cars are just that, too much info with gauges that change so the driver is informed on what's going on with the car, like radio station (like we can't tell on the freaking radio already?) with a flip of a stick. Keep that up and we will have more accidents. That along with the cell phones. On my Turbo S, I don't use 70% of the gauges. Why the hell would I really want to know about how much power is going to the front wheels.

Like locking automatic locking front hubs on a 4WD? I tell ya, I love them not having to get out in the mud or snow to lock 'em. I know, I know, mechanical, manual locking hubs are positive.

Its a horrible idea . I love the electronic readouts , but give me a damn dipstick for cryin' out loud.
Makes doing oil changes in the shop a total pain in the arse. I don't feel that I have completed the job, until, I have filled the oil, started the car , and re-checked the oil level, then reset the on board maintenance reminders .
BMW, Porsche, Audi etc, gotta warm them up/or drive, figure out the rube goldberg info system . You may think its easy on your own car, because you know how it works, but trying to keep up with all the different manufactures is madness .
I bet a lot of transmissions were destroyed, simply because the owners could not check the fluid levels and condition.

An effort to keep Harry Homeowner out from under the hood and get him in to the dealership to spend some money.

My 11-year old BMW has no dipstick, and only has an electric air pump that also dispenses some kind of sealing gook instead of a spare tire. I'm more irritated about the lack of a spare than I am about not having a dipstick...although I don't like that either.

I was pleased to find that my '22 Audi A3 has both a dipstick AND a spare tire/jack/tools.

My 99 996 C4 has a electronic oil level gauge and a dipstick . When we rebuilt the engine we installed a brand new oil level sensor . Guess what ? It doesn't work 😏 .

No problem I use the dipstick . Coming from military aircraft production I like redundancy. My 02 Boxster S also has both setups and the dash gauge is dead nuts on with the dipstick .

I replaced the dipstick today on my 2006 MINI Cooper S. The dipstick had a notch in it (I have no idea how it got there) and it was starting to give at that location. Thanks to Pelican for having an oem replacement.

The modern Porsche is based on a growing trend by other manufacturers (automotive and otherwise) to prevent the owner from actually being able to maintain (or even understand) their automobile. :mad:
Porsche doesn't want enthusiasts. They want "Platinum Credit Card Mechanics". They want people who drive a Porsche as a piece of jewelry or a status symbol.

THIS is the reason I will NEVER own a modern Pcar. The company that I grew to love and revere is gone! I don't want to read Excellence or join PCA so I can have dinner at wine and cheese events. If I ever get to the place were I can afford another sports car it will probably and 60's American muscle car.

That was the great thing about my old air-cooled 911. Any time I came to a stop at a stop light after a few secs of idling, I could tell the oil level at a glance, and the gauge was spot on. I rarely needed to use the dip stick in the old car (but I would check with the dipstick from time to time).


The new gauges require the car to have been running and now be off, and then based on temp, make you wait a period of time before they'll register a level. And the minimum period of time (if you just turned off the car) is 5 mins. It would be great to have a dip stick as an option in the new car.

My Cayman S was similar. I found that if I did not park it the same place every time I'd get a different reading. I always kept it 1 bar above the middle.

Thats another thing about the Cayman, had to have Durametric software to reset the oil change reminder. Never saw that message as I changed oil and did the reset every 5,000 miles. Most cars the reset is a button on the dash.

As an aside I loathe the oil level windows on many motorcycles. My Ducati has a window and the bike must be perfectly level to get a good read. My Harley still has the oil fill cover dip stick that I prefer.

2024 Supra (BMW) no dipstick!
It's an operation to ck the oil~!
Have engine hot, be on a level place , push the correct menu buttons and Viola!
In 5 min one can get a reading.
Is it correct?
IDK.
It is one more part inside the oil pan that no doubt will quit at some point .

Yep. Same as my boxster.

If I had this car long enough (which will not happen ) the day the oil pan had to come off is the day a conversion kit would fabricated and installed.
At first I thought maybe the electric dipstick was used because of the turbo and blowby?
Nah. that cant be it....LOL
Engines with way more boost than this one engine run a dipstick.
Just another gizmo...

I dunno. On my 997, I turn the ignition on, but don't start the car and it automatically reads the oil level in 6 seconds. If I start it, then I have to wait. Same way it worked on my 996, 996tt and 987.

No dip-stick was a surprise. Got used to it. Porsche just says "check the oil level each time you stop for gas."
I never thought that a dry sump had any reason for getting rid of the mechanical check.

If the car has already been sitting a while yes. So, either cold (I don't like to check when it's cold) or I got home, have to wait 5 mins, and then go back out to the car.

When I stop for gas, takes about 2-3 mins. Car says, "wait 5 mins".

The modern water cooled cars aren't exactly dry sump (like the old air-cooled cars were).

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Roscoe P Coltrane!

2015 Volvo v60, no dipstick and no spare.

The worst of both worlds.